Magnetic closure for casket



1970 R. B. ESTERDAHL 3,534,451

MAGNETIC CLOSURE FOR CASKET Filed. April 21.1. 1967 zsv zv W FIG 6 FIG 5 INVENTOR.

RICHARD B.ESTERDAHL United States Patent 3,534,451 MAGNETIC CLOSURE FOR CASKET Richard B. Esterdahl, RR. 3, Box 161313, Prophetstown, Ill. 61277 Filed Apr. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 632,776 Int. Cl. A61g 17/00 US. CI. 2716 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE On a coflin, a magnetic strip mounted around the rectangular upper edge of the lower box section adapted to contact and close the area of the juncture between the cover panels and the box section, and a magnetic strip fixed to the underside of the foot panel with a portion thereof extending toward and underlying the edge portion of the head panel to completely close the juncture between the head and foot panels; the magnetic strip around the upper edge being composed of a flexible envelope with a longitudinally extending permanent magnet retained therein that causes the upper portion of the envelope to engage and hold against the lower edges of the foot and head panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention-This invention relates to a coflin and more particularly to a magnetic latching strip that extends between the juncture of the head and foot panels, and between the head and foot panels and the upper edge of the lower box portion for latching and closing the respective junctures.

Description of the prior art-It has heretofore been known to have magnetic latches for latching a door closed on a box. Probably the most common use being on ice boxes on which a mganet is carried on the door and is attracted to the metal flange on the box. It is also old in cofiins to provide rubber seals at the juncture between the cover and the box portions.

Caskets or coflins are normally made of metal with parts of the casket being formed by dies and by stamping. The problem with so forming a casket is that the finished parts are often inaccurate and generally, when assembled, the junctures between the lid or cover and the box are not completely closed. The same is true relative to the juncture between the foot and head panels of the cover. So pronounced is this feature that oftentimes one seated with an eye level at the juncture height may see completely through the casket at the juncture. This, of course, is distracting and undignified, and it creates a very unprofessional image of the undertaker and his establishment. Also, due to the poor fitting of the parts, and particularly the normal latch parts, the casket will often rattle during movement or transport, thereby distracting from the dignity of the occasion. Even the noise of the latch catching when the cover closes may offend sensitive people.

SUMMARY With the above in mind, it is the primary purpose and object of the invention to provide a magnetic seal com pletely around the upper periphery of the lower box section and at the juncture between the head and foot panels of the cover. The magnetic seal around the periphery is composed of an elongated flexible envelope having a bottom side fixed to the top edge of the box with a flexible elongated permanent magnet retained therein. Consequently, as the cover portions are closed on the box portion, the magnetic attraction between the top portion and permanent magnet will force the envelope to expand and ice seal or press against the adjoining edges of the cover portions. Consequently, any gaps due to irregularity in the adjoining edges will be filled by the envelope. The magnetic attraction between the cover and box portions does, of course, operate as a latch.

It is a further object of the invention to provide that the above magnetic seal may be utilized when desired on a casket. The envelope is vinyl and consequently since it fits tightly against the adjoining edge, it does in fact operate as a relatively cheap vapor and moisture seal at the juncture. Therefore, when the latter is desired on a conventional type casket, the magnetic seal may be applied to the top of the box. By having the envelope so that it may expand, the magnetic seal may be compressed between the hinge plates connecting the cover and box portions and may expand to substantially retain the seal in areas offset from the seal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a casket utilizing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the cover or lid applied thereto.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken at the location 44 of FIG. 1 but showing the cover in a closed position.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but only of the foot panel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The casket herein shown is composed of a lower box portion 10 having front and rear wall structures 11, 12 and opposite end wall structures 13, 14. A floor panel, not shown, interconnects the lower edges of the wall structures 11-14. The structures 11'14 are normally formed by a die and have relatively large inaccuracies or tolerances. The ends of the respective wall structures are normally welded to one another.

The walls 1114 are each provided with an outwardly extending inclined portion 15 at its upper portion that is integral with an upper upright peripheral panel section 16 which terminates at upper edges defined by inwardly extending flanges or panel sections 17. For structural strength each flange 17 has an integral inner vertical section 18 and an outwardly projecting under flange 19.

A casket cover or lid composed of a head panel 20 and a foot panel 21 is hingedly connected at 22 to the upper flange 17 of the rear wall 12. Both the foot and head panels have boxlike edge flanges 23 at their front and rear edges and at respective ends above the end walls 13, 14. The box flanges include a downwardly facing horizontal panel or flange section 24. The panels 20, 21 have intermediate adjoining edges defined by vertical panels 26, 27 lying adjacent one another. Inner horizontal flanges or panels 28, 29 extend toward the respective ends from the lower edges of the vertical panel sections 26, 27.

The hinges 22 are composed of hinge plates 30, 31 spot welded to the upper surface of the horizontal flange 17 and to the lower surface of the flange 24. A hinge pin 32 pivotally interconnects the plates 30, 31.

Extending completely around the peripheral flange 17 is a magnetic latch or seal indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 35. The seal is composed of a vinyl or flexible envelope composed of a lower vinyl plate 37 that may be glued to the upper surface of the horizontal flange 17, a central expandable pleated portion 38, and

an upper horizontal sleeve portion 39. The sleeve 39 contains a permanent magnet 40 therein of a vinyl base construction. The seal 35 is glued or otherwise fixed to the upper edge or flange 17 of the respective walls 11-14. The seal 35 extends over and is glued also to the hinge plates 30.

At the juncture between the panels 20, 21 and along the edges of flanges 28, 29, there is provided a strip 41 of magnetic material that half underlies and is connected to the flange 29 either by gluing or by a strong magnetic attraction to the flange 29. Half of the strip 41 projects outwardly beyond the vertical panel 27. When the head panel is closed as shown in FIG. 5, the flanges 28, 29 may be vertically misaligned. The strip 41 will bend sufliciently, due to its magnetic attraction to flange 28, to cover the flaw of misalignment.

In actual construction, the flanges 17, 24 will in many instances not be perfectly horizontal in either the transverse or longitudinal direction. However, upon the cover portion being closed, the pleated portion 38 of the envelope will permit the upper sleeve and permanent magnet 40 to bear tightly against the flange 24 regardless of misalignment or imperfections due to manufacturing flaws. Therefore, the magnet latch 35 automatically compensates for the flaws and tolerances of manufacture.

The gap between the flanges 17, 24 along the rear wall 12 is greater than along the forward wall 11. This is due somewhat to the hinge plates being fixed to the surfaces of the flanges 17, 24. Upon the cover portions being closed, as shown in FIG. 4, the seal 35 will be completely compressed. However, the pleated portion will permit extension along the edges between the hinges 22 to thereby maintain the seal along the portions of the edges between the hinge plates.

What is claimed is:

1. In a coffin structure having a lower rectangular shaped box section including vertically disposed front, rear and opposite end panels with upper horizontally disposed edge flanges, a cover for the box section including head and foot panels hinged for independent vertical movement on the edge flange of the rear panel and having fore and aft adjoining edges intermediate the ends of the box section, the head and foot panels having downwardly facing horizontal flanges of magnetically attractable material along front and rear edges and along fore and aft extending edges opposite respectively the edge flanges of the respective end panels, the improvement residing in a continuous and rectangular shaped peripheral magnetic strip extending around the upper edge flanges of the box section, the magnetic strip being composed of an elongated flexible envelope fixed to and extending 1ongitudinally of the respective flanges of the box section, and a permanent magnet retained in the envelope forcing the upper portion of the envelope into contact with the respective flanges of the head and foot panels as they are closed; and an intermediate magnetic strip magnetically supported so as to be shiftable on the underside of one of the head and foot panels along its respective edge adjoining the other panel with a part thereof projecting from the edge in an underlying relation to the other edge whereby as the head and foot panels are closed the strip will magnetically seal the juncture between the adjoining edges.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 whereby the head and foot panels are hinged to the rear panels by hinges that include flat hinge plates supported on the upper surface of the rear edge flange and the portion of the peripheral magnetic strip on the rear flange fits over the hinge plates and said envelope is compressed at the hinge plates and is adapted to expand vertically other than at the hinge plates as the head and foot panels are closed.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the head and foot panels are hinged to the rear panels by hinges that include hinge plates supported on the undersurface of the downwardly facing flange and the upper surface of the rear edge flange and the portion of the peripheral magnetic strip along the rear edge flange is compressed between the hinge plates and is adapted to expand vertically other than at the hinge plates to thereby substantially seal the juncture between the flanges along the rear edge.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the intermediate magnetic strip is a flat flexible magnetic strip that is magnetically attracted to the edges of the head and foot panels at their fore and aft junctures.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by the intermediate magnetic strip extending across the adjoining edges of the head and foot panels and having opposite ends thereof terminating at the inner edges of the peripheral strip when the head and foot panels are closed.

6. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the adjoining edges include opposite vertical panel portions on the respective head and foot panels lying adjacent to one another and underlying horizontal flanges on the respective panels generally aligned with one another and extending away from one another toward the ends of the coflin, and said intermediate magnetic strip is supported on one of the underlying flanges and underlies and is magnetically attracted to the other of the underlying flanges.

7. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the intermediate magnetic strip is mounted on the foot panel and projects in an underlying relation to the head panel.

8. A coffin structure having a lower rectangular shaped box with upper horizontally disposed edge flanges; a cover for the box including head and foot panels hinged for independent vertical movement on the rear edge flange and having fore and aft adjoining edges intermediate the ends of the box, the head and foot panels having downwardly facing horizontal flanges of magnetically attractable material opposite the edge flanges of the box; a continuous peripheral magnetic strip extending around the upper edge flanges of the box, the magnetic strip being composed of an extendable and compressible flexible envelope fixed to the flanges, and a permanent magnet retained in the envelope forcing the upper portion of the envelope into contact with the downwardly facing flanges upon the head and foot panels being closed; and an intermediate magnetic strip magnetically supported so as to be shiftable on one of said adjoining edges with a part thereof projecting in an underlying relation to the other edge and being magnetically attracted thereto.

9. A coflin structure having a lower rectangular shaped box with upper horizontally disposed edge flanges; a cover for the box including head and foot panels hinged for independent vertical movement on the rear edge flange and having adjoining edges intermediate the ends of the box; and an intermediate flexible magnetic strip magnetically supported so as to be shiftable on one of said adjoining edges with a part thereof projecting in an underlying relation to the other edge and being magnetically attracted thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,869,216 l/ 1959 Overland et al. 27l7 2,976,599 3/1961 Overland et al. 27l7 3,331,648 6/1967 Petkwitz et al. 312-296 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner T. BROWN, Assistant Examiner 

